A Break in the Tears
by Sullen Siren
Summary: Angel's cranky son finally laughs


Title: A Break in the Tears 

Author: Sullen_Siren 

E-Mail: adena@atlantic.net 

Rating: PG 

Spoilers: Angel Season Three through "Dad" 

Distribution: Be my guest. Just let me know, 'kay? 

Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one associated with Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel the Series. Except for a calendar. 

Feedback: Please! 

Notes: Just an idea that struck me. Short and no Beta, so forgive any and all mistakes. The baby may have already laughed in the episode, but I missed parts of it so I'm not sure. If he did, just pretend he didn't, okay?   
  
  
  
  
  


The silence drew her upstairs. Noise had become an almost continuous certainty in the massive building. No matter where you went, no matter which of the hundreds of rooms you hid in, no matter how loud the music of your headphones - the noise was always still there. Conner was not a happy child, and his incessant wails gave testimony to his dissatisfaction. But today she'd entered the hotel doors and the silence had struck her at once. It was a relief at first, but the relief quickly gave way to alarm. She made her way cautiously upstairs, searching for the quiet child and his father. "Angel?" No one answered as she stepped into Angel's rooms. She raised her voice, panicking already. "Angel? Where are you?"   
  


"Shhh! Be quiet!"   
  


She shrieked as his voice spoke from behind her shoulder, spinning to face him and lashing out with her fists in a half-hearted but genuinely irritated attack. "Don't DO that! Make some noise when you sneak up on someone." She motioned toward the purse slung over her shoulder. "I DO have a stake in there you know. Keep up the stealth greetings, and you may wind up on the wrong side of an accidental dusting." Cordelia halted her tirade and surveyed him for a moment, taking in the wrinkled clothes and messy hair. "Been up all night?"   
  


Angel nodded and sighed, running a hand through his hair tiredly. "He just fell asleep an hour or so ago."   
  


Cordelia glanced around the room again. "Where is he?"   
  


Angel gestured vaguely down the hall. "In Fred's room. He sleeps better there. Fred has some theory that he's more comfortable in a room where there's human heat and a heartbeat. I think he just likes the brighter colors though."   
  


"Yeah, well there's the reason most nurseries aren't decorated in shades of black and gray." She frowned. "So Fred's been up all night too?"   
  


"I told her she didn't have to. But she says she doesn't mind. She fell asleep seconds after Conner did." She pushed past him and began making her way toward Fred's room. He followed her, glancing down the stairs as they passed them. "Wesley and Gunn in yet?"   
  


She shook her head. "They went with Lorne to do some appraising at Caritas, see if there's anything worth saving in that wreck." She shot a pointed look toward Angel. "You ARE planning on helping him rebuild that place, aren't you? And I don't mean just helping with the heavy lifting. Far be it to me to sacrifice any of our potential profits- but the place got wrecked because of you. Twice."   
  


He frowned. "Cordelia, it's not like I'm rolling around in cash. I'd help if I could but-"   
  


"No buts. I already called David Nebbit last night, we're having a lunch meeting here tomorrow. And by 'we' I mean you. Plus I have an appointment at the bank today to see if we can work out some kind of loan. It's our responsibility and you know it. So no weaseling out of this."   
  


He sighed and gave in. Arguing with Cordelia was an exercise in futility. "Don't wake him up."   
  


She paused as she pushed open the door to Fred's room, rolling her eyes and whispering. "Good thing you told me, I was planning on dumping some ice water over his head." She pushed her way inside and Angel crowded in behind her, letting the door click softly shut behind him.   
  


Conner lay on his stomach in the center of his brand new crib, his mobile turning slowly over his head, casting changeable cartoon-shaped shadows over his tiny face. His small fists flexed and clenched as he slept, blue bootie-covered feet occasionally twitching beneath the blue blanket. Cordelia smiled slightly. Everything they'd bought him to wear had been blue. Angel was such a traditionalist. She made a mental note to pick up a pink jumper and dress him in it sometime, just to see Angel's reaction.   
  


She turned her gaze to the bed in the corner where Fred lay curled in a tiny ball, her arms hugging her knees. The blankets had been kicked to the floor and she'd forgotten to remove her glasses. Cordelia sighed and crossed the room, carefully lifting the glasses away from her face and covering her with the bright yellow bedspread.   
  


Angel watched her silently, then returned his gaze to his sleeping son. A faint smile touched his lips and he leaned back against the closed door. Cordelia stood a moment, her eyes moving between the vampire and his child, her own lips curving into a smile as well. She went to stand with, leaning against the wall beside him and laying her head on his shoulder. They stood in companionable quiet for a long moment, both their eyes fixed on the sleeping infant. Cordelia finally spoke, her voice a low whisper in Angel's ear. "Conner suits him. You picked the right name, I think."   
  


He nodded proudly in agreement. "It's in the bones. He has good, sturdy Irish bone structure."   
  


She laughed lightly at that and the child stirred in his crib. Her hand flew to her mouth and she shot Angel a guilty look. Conner went still again after a restless moment, and Angel turned and gave Cordelia a wink. She bit back another laugh. He'd winked at her. The brooding, soulful King of Black had actually winked. For a moment she pushed away all the problems and connotations Conner's arrival entailed and allowed herself to simply be happy for the baby's presence. He was good for Angel. He gave Angel a new, less gruesome, purpose.   
  


She pushed lightly on his shoulder, bringing his questioning gaze back to her. She nodded toward the door behind him, making a "walking" gesture with two of her fingers. He nodded and shoved himself away from the wood, opening the door and making a playfully chivalrous half-bow toward her. She grinned and curtseyed in response, moving past him and into the doorway.   
  


Without warning, a shrill ringing broke the peaceful quiet of the room. She blanched and reached hurriedly into her purse, digging frantically for the strident cell phone it contained. She found it after a moment, punching the power button without bothering to answer. Her eyes flew toward the crib as she stepped back into the room, cringing at Angel's accusatory expression as she slid past him.   
  


Conner waved his small fists frantically, feet kicking at the blanket. He stilled after a moment, and Cordelia sighed in relief. Her sigh was too soon as an abrupt, impossibly loud wail issued from the infant's wide open mouth. His small face went instantly from pale and peaceful to red and squinty.   
  


Angel shut the door behind him again with a slight bang. Cordelia gave him a look of abject apology. "Sorry." She let her purse fall to the floor and went to the crib, reaching in to pick up the baby. She cradled him carefully and turned to see Fred sitting up, yawning as she winced at the noise. "Why don't you go sleep in another room for a while Fred? You look beat. You too Angel. I can take care of Mr. Small and Loud for a while."   
  


Fred nodded, too tired to argue. She reached for her glasses and began gathering up her pillow and blanket. Cordelia turned away to face Angel. He shook his head. "No. I'll stay. You go on downstairs."   
  


Cordelia frowned. "Angel, you cannot stay up 24-7 like this. Let go a little. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of him for-" Conner's crying suddenly took on a new, yelping sound. It was far louder than his previous cries- something Cordelia hadn't thought possible until this moment.   
  


Angel sighed and slowly and methodically began to beat his head against the door behind him. Cordelia shushed the baby ineffectually and began walking in circles, gently jostling him. Her baby cousin used to like that when she was cranky. You had to walk and bounce her at the same time and she'd shut right up. Conner, however, was unimpressed. Now his wails were just intertwined with bouncing gurgles. She lifted him to her shoulder so his small face was looking behind her and patted his back. Fred shook her head. "He hates that. Well, he hates everything, but he really hates the whole back-pat thing. Last time he-" She stopped mid-sentence as Conner inexplicably went silent. Fred's eyes widened. "Don't move! He must like that position."   
  


Cordelia froze in place and turned her head as best she could. Conner's bright blue eyes were fixed on his father. Angel, apparently oblivious to the sudden quiet, was still beating his head against the door. "Angel." Cordy hissed.   
  


He stopped and glanced at her, surprise in his face. He saw his son's face looking at him and started to smile. Immediately, the baby began to scream. His smile vanished, but the child's wailing continued. "What? Why did he stop."   
  


Cordelia moved the baby back into a cradled position and turned to face Angel. Conner's head turned and resumed watching his father. She smiled suddenly. "Angel, bash your head against the door again!"   
  


He scowled. "What? Why? It was starting to hurt."   
  


She waved her free hand dismissively. "Oh please, your head is way too thick to be dented by mere wood. Just do it." Angel complied. Immediately, Conner's cries stopped. His fist, which he'd been waving furiously about, now entered his mouth. Cordelia's smile turned triumphant. "See? That's why he stopped."   
  


Angel paused and Conner pulled his fist from his mouth, small face screwing up again. He flung his head against the wood quickly, a bit harder than he'd intended, and the fist returned to his mouth. "He likes the noise?"   
  


Cordelia shrugged, earning a soft gurgling noise from the baby she held. "Who knows. Personally, I think he just enjoys your pain." She frowned. "Which doesn't bode well for his future, really, considering his parentage." Angel scowled as his head thunked against the wood yet again. "How long you think you can keep that up?"   
  


He shrugged. "If he's quiet, I'll do it till my head's bloody."   
  


She made a face. "Eww. Do me a favor and stop before then, okay? I'd prefer the crying to you getting all bloodied yet again."   
  


Angel smiled, seemingly pleased by her concern. He opened his mouth to speak again, but he'd paused too long and a wail welled up in Conner's throat. He hurriedly rammed his head into the wood. This time it was MUCH harder than he'd intended. "Oww!" He grimaced and rubbed his head.   
  


Tiny, musical, bubbling laughter filled the room. Angel paused and glanced at Conner. The fists were waving again, but now the face held a wide toothless smile and the baby blue eyes sparkled with amusement. Cordelia laughed delightedly, the sound tangling with the baby's laugh. Fred came to stand beside her, grinning down at the child. Cordy grinned at Angel. "See? I told you he enjoyed your pain." She shook her head at Angel's expression of pure enchantment. "Your son's first laugh, Angel. Considering the start this kid had in life, it's a miracle that he laughed at all."   
  


Angel said nothing, but his eyes were fixed on Conner who stared back, still laughing. Cordelia watched him. Angel's eyes were bright and there was a softness in his face she'd never seen before. Suddenly he turned away and Conner's laughter stopped, though he didn't begin to cry again. Cordy glanced down at the now silent baby, then up at Angel, who stood facing the door. "Angel?" She saw that his shoulders were shaking violently and her smile returned. Men. Always afraid to show emotion. "Angel it's okay to cry you know. We promise not to tell Gunn and Wesley. Right Fred?" She winked at the other girl, who smiled back. "Don't be ashamed."   
  


"I'm not ashamed. I just can't seem to stop." Angel's voice was muffled with emotion. Cordelia reached forward and laid a hand on his shoulder, her own eyes tearing though she tried to hide it. He spun at her touch and she stumbled desperately backwards as she met his yellow eyes. He smiled, tears sliding slowly down his ridged face, fangs glinting pure white. "You see, I'm just so damn happy." He moved with slow deliberation, carefully blocking the door as the baby in Cordelia's arms burst into tinkling, infectious laughter.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
